Employment Blog August 2015

By Stephen Singer, August 17, 2015

This report is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor. Non-farm payroll employment rose by 215,000 in July, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.3 percent. Employment increased in retail trade, health care, professional and technical services, and financial activities. Incorporating revisions for May and June, which increased non-farm payroll employment by 14,000, monthly job gains have averaged 235,000 over the past 3 months. In the 12 months prior to July, employment growth averaged 246,000 per month.  These changes are summarized in Charts 1 and 2 below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Retail trade employment rose by 36,000 in July, with motor vehicle and parts dealers contributing 13,000 of the increase. Over the year, retail trade has added 322,000 jobs.

Health care employment increased by 28,000 over the month, and has grown by 436,000 over the year. Hospitals added 16,000 jobs in July.

Employment in professional and technical services rose by 27,000 over the month, as job growth continued in computer systems design and related services (+9,000) and in architectural and engineering services (+6,000). Employment gains in these two industries have accounted for nearly half of the 301,000 increase in professional and technical services employment over the past 12 months.

Employment in financial activities increased by 17,000 in July. Within the industry, insurance carriers and related activities added 10,000 jobs.

Manufacturing employment edged up by 15,000 over the month. Job gains occurred in several nondurable industries, including food manufacturing (+9,000) and plastics and rubber products (+6,000).

In July, employment continued to trend up in food services and drinking places (+29,000) and in transportation and warehousing (+14,000).

Mining employment continued on a downward trend in July (-5,000). Since its recent peak in December, mining has shed 78,000 jobs.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent in June on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index rose 0.1 percent before seasonal adjustment. Monthly changes are detailed in Chart 1a below.

 

Real average hourly earnings for all employees decreased 0.4 percent from May to June, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This result stems from no change in average hourly earnings being combined with a 0.3-percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). These changes are detailed in Chart 1b below.